Key Advances in the Treatment of the Critically Ill

This reprint of a Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine includes a submission-motivating editorial, eleven clinical research papers (including a meta-analysis), six narrative reviews and a survey-based study, focusing on a wide variety of aspects of intensive care.  Five studies pertain to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) assess intermittent vs. prolonged prone ventilation and the interaction between early pressure-supported ventilation and kidney injury, as well as the clinical significance of biomarkers (pro-adrenomedullin and heparinase) and of an impaired antibody response.  The COVID-19 narrative reviews analyze published evidence on therapeutic interventions in COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and invasive fungal infections.  The remaining six studies assess the Norwegian version of the Chelsea physical assessment tool, the interaction of base excess and lactate in outcome prediction, left ventricular dysfunction in ARDS, respiratory drive after isoflurane sedation, renal preplacement therapy as a prognostic factor and diaphragmatic dysfunction in severe trauma patients.  The remaining four narrative reviews analyze published evidence on immunoglobulins in sepsis, treatments for post-cardiac arrest syndrome, blood purification in sepsis and the management of traumatic brain injury.  Lastly, the survey-based study explores the temporal evolution of European resuscitation and end-of-life practices.  The Special Issue primarily aims to publish both innovative research findings and comprehensive reviews of existing scientific knowledge on acute and life-threatening disease.